Bill Carter
Sport: Hockey: Year Inducted: 1977
Bill Carter had an outstanding and successful hockey career over a period of 20 years from 1950-1970. His size 150-155 pounds was the only asset he lacked to stay in the N.H.L.
Coming up through the O.C.O.T. Program in the 1949-50 season, he was an immediate star with Cornwall Pee Wees who were Ottawa District Champions and the following year led both bantam and midget teams to Ottawa District Titles. At 14, he was the league scoring Champ with Cornwall Sports Centre in the Junior “B” League.
In the 1954-55 season, at 16, Bill was All-Star centre with league Champion’s Hochelaga in the Montreal Metropolitan League.
He signed and played with Montreal Junior Canadians going to the Eastern Canada Finals in 1955-56. The team moved from Montreal and became Ottawa-Hull Canadians in 1956, they won the Laurier Cup and were Memorial Cup finalists, losing to Flin Flon. They went all the way in the 1957-58 season to win the Memorial Cup against Regina.
The Toronto Star said Carter and Backstrom carried the mail for the Canadians as usual. The Ottawa Journal described Bill as a fast effortless skater with a great shift and hockey brains to burn. Sam Pollock said he was one of the best four players outside the N.H.L.
He turned professional with Rochester Americans in 1958, played several games with Montreal Canadians and spent two months on loan to Boston that same season.
As a professional, he played two years with Ottawa-Hull, then Seattle in the Western League, Buffalo in the American League and finished his active career in 1970 at Denver.